The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed Globacom to appoint a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) distinct from its Board Chairman within the next 24 months.
The directive is part of the NCC’s Corporate Governance Guidelines for the Communications Industry, issued in March 2025, and applies to all licensed telecom operators in Nigeria. The regulation seeks to strengthen accountability, eliminate conflicts of interest, and enhance governance structures by separating leadership roles.
Under the guidelines, each telecom board must include at least five members: a non-executive Chairman, a Managing Director/CEO, Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), and Independent Non-Executive Directors (INEDs). Critically, the number of NEDs must exceed that of Executive Directors, with one-third of the board made up of independent directors.
The rules also require at least two NEDs—one of them independent—to have ICT and/or cybersecurity expertise. Furthermore, the Chairman must be elected by the board as a non-executive member, prohibited from exercising executive powers, and barred from assuming the CEO position.
Globacom has two years to comply with this governance reform, failing which it may face regulatory sanctions. The move underscores NCC’s drive to enforce stronger governance and ensure Nigeria’s telecom sector operates with global best practices.
